Charge density waves in cuprate superconductors beyond the critical doping

The unconventional normal-state properties of the cuprates are often discussed in terms of emergent electronic order that onsets below a putative critical doping of x ≈ 0.19. Charge density wave (CDW) correlations represent one such order; however, experimental evidence for such order generally spans a limited range of doping that falls short of the critical value xc, leading to questions regarding its essential relevance. Here, we use X-ray diffraction to demonstrate that CDW correlations in La2−xSrxCuO4 persist up to a doping of at least x = 0.21. The correlations show strong changes through the superconducting transition, but no obvious discontinuity through x ≈ 0.19, despite changes in Fermi surface topology and electronic transport at this doping. These results demonstrate the interaction between CDWs and superconductivity even in overdoped cuprates and prompt a reconsideration of the role of CDW correlations in the high-temperature cuprate phase diagram.

H. Miao, G. Fabbris, R. J. Koch, D. G. Mazzone, C. S. Nelson, R. Acevedo-Esteves, G. D. Gu, Y. Li, T. Yılmaz, K. Kaznatcheev, E. Vescovo, M. Oda, T. Kurosawa, N. Momono, T. Assefa, I. K. Robinson, E. S. Bozin, J. M. Tranquada, P. D. Johnson, M. P. M. Dean